TMDSAS Residency Gotcha

[EasTexan]

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A little warning for TMDSAS applicants: Don't assume you are a resident by TMDSAS standards even though you are considered a resident by the Texas university you are attending for your undergraduate degree.

Edited to remove personal info.

Basic summary. Ran in to residency issues with fiancee, classified as non-resident despite being born here, attending school the last 3 years here, and entire family living in Texas. Be sure to check the requirements on TMDSAS site.

 

[clutchfans]

My question is if you graduated from a Texas High school and lived in Texas 36 month prior to graduating from said HS, does that factor pretty much guarantee Texas residency?

 

[EasTexan]

My question is if you graduated from a Texas High school and lived in Texas 36 month prior to graduating from said HS, does that factor pretty much guarantee Texas residency?

That coupled with living in Texas 12 months prior to application does.

 

[clutchfans]

So you have to meet all 3 of those requirments to count? Wow. So paying property tax/ school tax/ other taxes won't get you in as a resident or will it?

 

[EasTexan]

So you have to meet all 3 of those requirments to count? Wow. So paying property tax/ school tax/ other taxes won't get you in as a resident or will it?

If by paying property tax you mean owning a home for 12 months prior to applying, sure, you would be considered a resident. It's the highschool requirements OR the 5 things I listed in the OP.

In our case I own a home, she doesn't, she's just been going to school and living with me for two years; therefore, not a resident.

 

[Illfavor]

TMDSAS residency requirements are the same as the public institutions IIRC. Is she at a public university? It is very strange for them to say she's a resident and TMDSAS does not. She doesn't have to fit all 5 of those requirements, just one.

But, it sounds to me like she moved to Texas just for school. In that case, nope, she's not a resident. If she doesn't make enough money to provide for herself, then she's a student...not a person establishing a domicile.

I grew up in OK my whole life, but established a domicile in Texas by working nearly full time while in school.

 

[EasTexan]

TMDSAS residency requirements are the same as the public institutions IIRC. Is she at a public university? It is very strange for them to say she's a resident and TMDSAS does not. She doesn't have to fit all 5 of those requirements, just one.

But, it sounds to me like she moved to Texas just for school. In that case, nope, she's not a resident. If she doesn't make enough money to provide for herself, then she's a student...not a person establishing a domicile.

I grew up in OK my whole life, but established a domicile in Texas by working nearly full time while in school.

They must have made a mistake, but we'll look in to it.

Edited to remove personal info.

 

[EasTexan]

oops, dp

 

[doc toothache]

So you believe TMDSAS wronged your gf because their residency conclusion was not the same as yours/hers. State residency for legal purposes is not the same as that residency for tuition purposes. School districts are autonomous and make their determination based on their criteria and not on what their neighbors are doing. Some schools do not allow a claim of residency if the reason for the presence in the state was a function of attending school.

 

[predentalhopeful2015]

No offense, but do you not see how her situation could easily make her look like someone who is in TX just for schooling? I certainly can.

Saying, "well she earnestly wants to stay in Texas after attending school" is all nice and good, but doesn't prove that she is there for that reason if she has been in school full-time since moving to Texas and doesn't have any real, physical things tying her down to the state. The guidelines are clear as day, and I will tell you that as a resident of a different state I had an uncannily similar set of guidelines to try and meet before I could get in-state tuition at the state's undergraduate university, except that my state is less straightforward about what guidelines being met will actually qualify someone for residency and apparently she had to meet 1 of the 5 you listed. I don't think that's unreasonable at all.

Good luck to you and your girlfriend on the DAT and your future applications to dental school!

 

[EasTexan]

So you believe TMDSAS wronged your gf because their residency conclusion was not the same as yours/hers. State residency for legal purposes is not the same as that residency for tuition purposes. School districts are autonomous and make their determination based on their criteria and not on what their neighbors are doing. Some schools do not allow a claim of residency if the reason for the presence in the state was a function of attending school.

No, despite my replies sounding like that. This was meant as more of a warning and a little venting I suppose. It's pretty clear why she isn't considered a resident. It's just disappointing to run into this at this point in the app.

No offense, but do you not see how her situation could easily make her look like someone who is in TX just for schooling? I certainly can.

Saying, "well she earnestly wants to stay in Texas after attending school" is all nice and good, but doesn't prove that she is there for that reason if she has been in school full-time since moving to Texas and doesn't have any real, physical things tying her down to the state. The guidelines are clear as day, and I will tell you that as a resident of a different state I had an uncannily similar set of guidelines to try and meet before I could get in-state tuition at the state's undergraduate university, except that my state is less straightforward about what guidelines being met will actually qualify someone for residency and apparently she had to meet 1 of the 5 you listed. I don't think that's unreasonable at all.

Good luck to you and your girlfriend on the DAT and your future applications to dental school!

Absolutely. I didn't mean for this to sound so "woe is us". Like I said, it's just frustrating to run in to this at this point. She is here because of family, but it obviously doesn't look like that on paper.

Thanks, we're probably going to get her established as a resident and try next year. Texas is where she wants to go to dental school.